Thursday, November 27, 2008

My early morning quiet time has just been interupted by the repeating sounds of gunfire. I think there is a war going on. It seems to be coming from behind our house in the woods. Hopefully, far, far back in the woods. Maybe I should move away from the three windows that I'm sitting in front of while typing . It sounds to me like this hunter is a really bad shot, by the multitude of rounds being fired, or possibly someone has equipped the deer with their own guns to fire back! That would make things more interesting huh?

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Joshua turned 7 yrs old a few weeks ago. Being the "always ready for a party"boy that he is- we had to narrow his original guest list down from about 30 kids to a more manageable number. :)

Here are some pictures from the party. Highlights were a game called "Mr. Fox"," Red Light..Green Light" and the always popular pinata bashing! What kid doesn't like trying to beat the tar out of something while blindfolded for a prize of CANDY! You would have never guessed that Halloween was the day before. Here is the group picture from the day and right below it is one from 2 yrs ago. Man, they sure grow up fast!! Below the group shots are just some candid shots I took during the chaos--I mean during the games and fun...

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Just last week while I was driving home from work, I happened to pass one of those big septic tank trucks. You know the ones with the humongous tanks on the back and the giant hose wrapped around it 50 or 60 times. They always have the funny sayings like, "You dump it, We pump it"or something like that. Are you with me so far?

Well anyhoo, that got me to thinking about, the art of cleaning out said septic systems. My first and foremost thought was "I wonder what they do with all that shi....take', once the tank gets full, and they have to empty it. Do they take it to a city's sewage treatment plant and somehow dump it in there? Do they go out and secretly shoot it all over some poor farmer's fields. I can tell you right now that, I think thats probably what really happens to it. Have you ever been driving out on Interstate 70 or on Route 40 sometimes and smell some of those smells coming from the fields ? Holy Crap-does that ever stink.

Or I really hope that they don't go dumping it in the river or any streams.Kinda makes me wonder about the river though, when you are entering TH on 70.

It also brought back a childhood memory that I had totally forgotten about. My Dad use to work for the city, and at one time, was in charge of the sewage treatment facilities- you know the place where all the peoples waste goes who have city sewage, instead of septic tanks.

Well every other weekend, he would have to go to the these sewage plants, and check them to make sure things were "flowing" as they should be. Sometimes as a "special treat" he would take my sister and me with him. Of course being kids we thought this was awesome! They were like huge tanks, buried in the ground, open on top, so you could see down into them. They were full of what looked like creamy hot CHOCOLATE-only you knew thats not what it was ,by the odiferous scent! The really cool thing was, they had a 3 foot wide walkway, to walk across the churning abyss. They had metal rails on the walkway, so of course my Dad, the cool guy that he was, would let us walk across them. He was right there though, to make sure we didn't fall in.

I can still remember the butterflies I would have when we walked across, thinking that we were goners if we slipped and fell. Great family fun times together!!

OK, I got off track there-fast forward to earlier this week-there's a note on our front door from a guy from Rex Vault Co. They put our septic system in when we built our house. He comes twice a year to add chlorine to our septic system and checks it to make sure it is working properly.He always leaves a note that says what he did and tells us if all systems are go. My favorite part is at the end he tells us what he sees. How cool huh.

For the past 6 years it has said "a few solids", "some solids", "lots of solids", but this time it saidTANK IS FULL -NEEDS PUMPED!

This set my mind into motion, of the above mentioned trucks and questions like, How long should we wait to have this done?, if not soon, are we going to come home to a "full house"?"Which company should I call?" -the ones with the coolest slogans on their trucks?

So I got in the phone book, and found someone to come pump the poo!They were suppose to come today, but of course never showed up. This really offended me,"Did they not want my poo?" "Is my poop not good enough for them?" " Oh well", I thought, "maybe they will come tomorrow."

I had went into church about 5:50 pm this evening, when I got a phone call from Maren."Dad--you need to come home, the guys are here to suck out the crap!" she exclaimed while snickering. "OK, I'll be right there!, I said, suddenly feeling so much better knowing that they did want MY poo. I drove home in a hurry to find the GIANT Septic tank truck sitting in my front yard. I hurriedly showed them where our beloved tank was, and they started unwinding the mile long hose-well it wasn't quite that long-or they wouldn't had to park in my yard, and leave giant ruts in my yard.

It was dark by now, and it looked like, from what I could tell they were fastening something around the hose to hook it to the ground. I thought to myself "Is there going to be so much suction power running through that hose that it is going to flop around?" Awesome.

Now was my chance to ask my questions, that had been burning in my mind.. "I started with, "How much does that tank hold?" "Two thousand gallons",was his reply. I quickly followed it with,"So what do you do when it is full?" "We dump it." "Well, I KNEW that", I thought to myself. "Where?" At this time the guy in charge, came up and started giving directions to the guy I was talking to and the conversation was dropped. DARN!

Anyway, they finally succeeded in getting the covers off our tank and got the hose stuck into the hole. It was at this point, that I can tell you it got really UGLY! It required the garden hose with running water and a shovel at this point to be able get our tank sparkling clean. You have to know that I can honestly say, we will never tell you or act like our s#*t doesn't stink because IT DOES PEOPLE!!I felt kind of bad at this point, and actually thought about apologizing to him for the smell. "I'm sorry sir, I know I shouldn't have eaten all that Mexican food for the last 6 years, but it just tasted sooooo good to me!" Then I got a grip and realized he's probably used to it.

At one point, during this period of cleansing, the boss guy was bent over the hose which was laying in the grass about 10 feet away from me ,and the poor guy (who had his head in our sewage tank sucking out the gunk.) I graciously held the flash light for him so he could see what he was doing. It was the least I could do.

He asked his boss, "Is that part springing a leak where the hose is coupled together. " All of a sudden, I had a flashback to the scene from the movie RV, where they went to empty the septic tank on the RV. Remember that one? I thought about running for my life at that time, but needless to say, the hose held up and the job was completed.

Josh and Maren even came out to watch the festivities a few times. But Josh has a sensitive nose, and didn't want to stay around for long.

Oh well, it just another fun evening at the Milbourn's, and by the way I never did get the chance to ask again where they dump their tanks.

The question which started this little adventure still remains a MYSTERY!

One thing I did learn is that the toilet paper we use-really does live up to it's packaging claim-that it is safe for septic systems and is biodegradable With the boatload of toilet paper, this family of 5 buys, I was half expecting to be swallowed up by a giant toilet paper man, when they uncovered the tank. But there was not a square to be found! That sure takes a big burden off my mind.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Hey everyone, They are doing it again! Compassion International has once again, loaded up a group of bloggers, and headed out to another country. This time they are in the Dominican Republic for 5 days.

This is what Compassion is saying about the trip....

"Known for its resort-speckled beaches, there's another side to this Carribean nation unknown to most vacationers. Our bloggers will visit a city dump where families scavenge for food and clothing. They'll tour a neighborhood where drugs are trafficked and children live beside open sewers. The bloggers will see first-hand how Compassion International and child sponsors are bringing HOPE to children living in these places by releasing them from poverty in Jesus' name.

I encourage you to follow along this week by clicking on the Dominican Republic button in my sidebar or you can check it out here. I pray that as you read along, you would truly see how blessed we are and that your heart might be moved to sponsor a child. It will truly change the life of the child, and yours as well. Since reading the blogs from Uganda earlier this year, and sponsoring our own child, it certainly has worked on mine! More on that soon!

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Today is Blog Action Day....In case you are wandering what that is, allow me to fill you in.

It is an annual online effort to get as many people as possible talking about one crucial issue in hopes of inspiring an action and bringing about change. Last year it centered around the environment and this year poverty is the big issue that people will discuss.

The last time I checked, over 12,000 bloggers have registered to participate. It is estimated that over 9 million people will read the posts.

I can probably safely say, that if you have an internet connection, and can read this blog, then you, like me, also have electricity, a home to stay in, food, clothing, etc.(all the modern day comforts) -then we are probably not too much affected by poverty.

However, there are millions of people who go to sleep every night hungry, who do not know where their next morsel of food will come from, or if it will even be the next day, let alone a solid roof over their head, or clothing.

That statistic blows my mind!! Especially when I hear things like one of our presidential candidates, this past week spent tens of thousands of dollars in a weeks time in just one television market in one city. Think of how many people that money could feed in a third world country.

For $32 dollars a month, through Compassion, you can provide a child,not only food, but a Christ centered, ministry, that teaches the children about having a personal relationship with Jesus, and what a change He can bring into their lives.

If you are interested in making a difference in the life of a poverty stricken child, whether that be to learn more about the ministry of Compassion , or if you are ready to sponsor a child,I urge you to click here.

Friday, October 3, 2008

We had a surprise when we spent our first day on the resort here in Mazatlan, Mexico.

We were greeted by IGUANAS, of all colors and sizes!

They are EVERYWHERE. I have found that even though they are reptiles, they don't bother me nearly as bad as snakes. I have not had to beat any to death yet with a bar bell! :) I usually just sit and stare at them in amazement , feeling like we have signed up for a week at Jurassic Park.

So after observing them , I thought I'd give you all an idea of a typical day in the life of a Mexican Resort Iguana.....

At least one that I've seen, started off his morning , by climbing to the highest point he could find and spent a little quiet time, worshiping , his Creator...... If you look closely you can see an iguana sitting on top of the building. Yes, climbing is not a problem for them.

After morning quiet time, they head on over to the poolside outdoor restaurant, which by the way, is named after them. It didn't take us long to figure out why it is their namesake.

While they are waiting on food, they try to blend in with the rest of the vacationers.

This ones favorite pastime was sunbathing, by the pool, ON A CHAIR. "Excuse me sir, Is this chair beside you taken?"

Once lunch is served, some "kind"people like this one, feed the iguanas. In case you are wandering ,Travis still has all his fingers! Iguanas do have razor sharp teeth, but they take the food out of your hands as gently as when feeding a dog. They like eating things like lettuce, french fries and tomatoes as seen below.....

But one of their all time favorites, is bread. Every day, at about 3pm, a older gentleman named Earl comes, walking to the grassy area, behind the pool, with a clear plastic bag of Bread. It is quite a sight. As he comes across the grass, the iguanas start coming from everywhere, shrubs, trees, etc. He is like the Pied Piper of iguanas. He always gets a small plastic table from poolside, to sit on, and proceeds to feed the "herd". He breaks the bread sharing it with all the iguanas and any birds that might come into the area.

Not only does Earl feed the iguanas, he actually pets them and rubs /pats them like they were a dog or cat. And you can tell, when watching them, that they LOVE it. If they have any loose skin, being shed from the spiny things on their back, he pulls them off as well. The iguanas sit perfectly still as Earl shows them his affection. Earl told us he has been doing this for quite awhile. He has a video on You Tube, from 2 years ago, in which he is feeding 17 Iguanas , all gathered around him. You can search for Earl the Iguana Man, on You Tube, if you are interested in viewing.

After their feeding and massages, they go back to normal iguana mischief.

Here one is,trying to decide what she would look like in Gretchen's sarong-wrap-thing, that was hanging on the back of her chair. "Do you think I would look good in pink?"

They also like to suprise people by sneaking up between them and eavesdropping on their conversations. I can only imagine the stories they could tell if they could talk!

Actually they are very well behaved, and do not bother people or steal things or anything. Once you get used to the initial shock that they live here and are pretty much everywhere, it is not really that big of a deal. As long as the ground does not start shaking....from an approaching T-REX, I'm cool with our new found friends.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Tonight, when we got home from work, we were greeted by our oldest son smiling from ear to ear. This was quite strange since he typically doesn't even acknowledge our presence when we walk in the door.

"What's that you're waving in your hand son?" "WHAT?? Your DRIVER'S PERMIT?!? For crying out loud, you haven't even been in driver's ed for two weeks yet!" YIKES!!!

So, we all emptied our bladders (to avoid any accidents due to extreme fear) and we piled in the family mini van to go on Will Milbourn's maiden voyage. Well, actually, we've let him drive before, but only in the cemetary. We figured he couldn't hurt anyone there :-). But this was the first REAL trip. The first time he'd driven on a real highway. With real cars coming at us. With live people in them. With steep ditches on the sides of the road. In the rain.

"How do I turn on the windshield wipers?"

"Wow!" "The turn signal goes off by itself?"

I was freaking out because he was taking the corners too fast. Missy was about to have a cow because he was so close to the edge of the road. Good thing we took that potty break :-)

All in all, he did very well. We are super excited! And celebrating this new journey with him!

It is now 9:09pm, Will just came up from the basement where he was doing his homework.

The first words out of his mouth "Do you want to go for a ride through town?" Do you? DO YOU??Can we take the Honda this time?(which he will be driving when he gets his license)

Saturday, August 23, 2008

New battery powered-cordless weed eater she just couldn't wait to get her hands on...

=

Honey, could you come here for a sec.....

I think we have a tiny PROBLEM!!!

PS: The really cool thing about this is thankfully, we don't have to "break" out the plywood while we are waiting to get this fixed. The window is a double-paned window and whatever it was that hit it, only broke the glass on the outside. The inside glass is still intact. Awesome huh!! That took some skills. Lovey-YOU ROCK!!--well maybe.....get it? I crack myself up. :)

PPS: Missy approved this, before being posted, so you can all quit thinking how much trouble I have gotten myself into...

I've had unfortunate household events too, that I can look back on and laugh at as well.

Hers, she had no control over, mine was due to stupidity-MY OWN...one that comes to mind was the time i tried to back out of the garage, with my driver's door open. It doesn't work well let me tell you! The door tends not to want to shut after you ram it into a stack of bricks, which happened to be sitting in the middle of the garage. It was a rather "breezy" ride to work that morning. Oh well, just another exciting day at the Milbourn house.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Wow, that is hard to believe. He will be starting high school later this month, and will be taking drivers ed, in his first semester back to school. That does not seem possible. It seems like only yesterday he was driving his little plastic flinstone mobile around the front yard. But, I have been letting him practice driving for quite a while now-in secret locations-mind you-that can't be disclosed-and I must admit he is a pretty good driver.He takes after me of course.. :)

Anyway, in typical Milbourn birthday fashion, we have been celebrating all week. Sunday evening, we had a cookout/birthday party for family.

Last night we celebrated with an awesome peanut butter pie, courtesy of Reba Jr. She makes one mean pie....Delicious!

Tonight, since it's his actual birthday today, he got to pick where he wanted to go to for dinner. He chose Tumbleweed, and had a nice big juicy steak.

I'm not sure what is in store for the rest of Will-o-mania, but I'm sure it will be fun.

And since none of my posts would be complete without a picture or 2 or 10-here's some of Will over the years.

Friday, July 25, 2008

In case you scrolled down and looked at the pictures first—NO, Maren is NOT getting MARRIED!! At least ,not for the next 50 years or so, if her mother and I have anything to say about it. :)About a year ago, Maren was asked to be in a wedding, for one of her 2nd or 3rd cousins. I’m not sure what her assignment was in the wedding, but I think it was a junior bridesmaid or something like that…. I don’t know a lot about weddings, but I’m thinking she was a little too old and tall to be the flower girl.

Anyway, the wedding was scheduled for May,2008.

Insert Maren and Missy's point of view:"What a wedding? Oh we--I mean she would love to be in the wedding! "Where are you trying on the dresses at"? "Uhuh uhuh ok we will be right there. "

Insert the sound of car doors slamming and the burning of rubber in the driveway as they head to the Midwest Bridal Dress Emporium.

It seemed as if one minute her cousin asked her by phone to be in the festivities and in the blink of an eye the dress was altered and purchased.

Father's point of view: The wedding was almost a year away. I was thinking, why the rush to buy this dress. It wasn’t cheap! Shouldn’t we be waiting until a little closer to the wedding-like a week or two before? What's the hurry people?

Well guess what??

Did you ever see the chick flick- 27 Dresses?-I think it was about a girl who was a “professional bridesmaid” and had been in a zillion weddings-well 27 to be exact- and kept all the dresses in her closet. Well er-I didn’t see it either! Maybe… :)

Where was I going with this, Oh Yeah-- the wedding was CALLED OFF!

Now we, were stuck—I mean blessed with a dress, and Maren already at age 11 has her 1st –"never worn," instead of "briefly worn" bridesmaid dress to hang in her OWN closet .

So my daughter, who never misses a chance to dress up, and me, who never likes to miss an opportunity to indulge in my favorite hobby, decided we should have ourselves a little “photo shoot”. Might as well, get some use out of the dress, that was never formally worn, before she outgrows it completely.

So a while back, we did just that, and here’s a look at a some of the shots that were taken.

And finally this picture..."She" went screaming by while taking pictures, and I had to get one of her too!